The face of the Internet is changing rapidly. Are you marketing to whose really on there buying?
There are more women online now, than men (52% v. 48%) 61% of women buy online rather than off, and 55% of men. Women in America make up to 80% of the purchasing decisions for the family. At-home female users in the US are increasing faster than males. (Nielson NetRatings) Individuals with household incomes from $100,000 to $150,000 are the fastest growing income group online. (Nielsen NetRatings) 44% of US adults over 18 are single, and the AASP projects by 2010, 47.2% will be unmarried. TamingTheBeast says users from India are coming on strong. "Up until now," they say, "the Internet has been very focused on the US ...[but] by 2003, the Asia Pacific region will catch up and overtake in regards to Internet usage." And what's the "US" internet anyway? There are 80 million multicultural Americans in the US now, with over 1 million new immigrants yearly.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THESE TRENDS?
* Consider something else for your chatline photo besides a 20 y.o. Anglo woman.
* If you're alienating the huge singles' and Islamic markets in your Christmas marketing, you get a D+ for your Internetmarketing EQ test.
* If you're a cruise line and offer neither a true singles' rate nor Gentleman dance hosts, you flunk.
* Start submitting your websites to the Asia-Pacific search engines and indices.
* Brush up on multi-cultural selling. Get Michael Lee's "Opening Doors" for starters.
* Get a currency converter on your website.
* Get used to some different terminology. Look for "self understanding" on Australian sites, and "advertorials." If you're going after the asiadragons dot comers, you'll enter your "Secret Word", and if you're talking to the UK, that thing you want so much is called a 'neesh'.
About the Author
Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.